Irrigation Application Case Study

Water is certainly a finite resource, and the decision to utilize irrigation is a major one. In Nebraska, for example, over 5 million acres are under irrigation. It can be quite expensive to irrigate, so ensuring the water gets applied properly is essential. As The University of Nebraska Lincoln puts it:

“The objective of irrigation management is to provide supplemental water needed by the plant while maximizing the value of water.”

In order to “maximize the value of water,” the grower needs to know that the water is being applied properly. Determining if there are issues with the application of water is sometimes difficult to determine during the extremely busy growing season. One economic and efficient method to monitoring the application of water is the utilization of aerial imagery. Below is an NDVI of a field under pivot irrigation. This image was taken in the summer of 2013 and immediately showed both the agronomist and irrigation manager that nozzles were clogged and not supplying water to the field. Knowing this information enabled the expedient repair to the nozzle so the proper amount of water could then be applied.

NDVI Image of Field Under Pivot Irrigation

NDVI of Field Under Hose Irrigation

Whether you are investigating irrigation management or currently managing irrigation, an image provides near real-time information on the application of water on a field by field basis. For further reading on irrigation management, below are a couple of links.

Related Projects

Weed Pressure

Weed Detection

Weeds have a negative impact on yields. “Even one weed per 100 feet of (soybean) row can impact yield,” says Rich Keller, Editor, AgProfessional Magazine in the article Even one weed impacts yield.
Research from The South Dakota State University showed that early season weed competition for resources (light, water, etc…) resulted in as much as 40 bushels per acre yield loss. This is certainly not a small matter!
The difficult part is identifying areas in the field where weed pressure exists. Conventional scouting methods can certainly find instances of weed pressure, but it is extremely difficult to see each and every part of each and every field from an economic perspective.
One of, if not the, most economical and effective means of identifying weed pressure is with an aerial image, especially an NDVI. The below set of images shows that there is a variation in the field. At first glance, it looks like a very small portion of the field is extremely “healthy,” as shown by the dark green color in the image. Upon further investigation in the field, the scout found that there was indeed something causing the variability, weeds!
[caption id="attachment_1833" align="aligncenter" width="300"] NDVI - Notice the darker green spots in the south east quadrant of the field[/caption]
[caption id="attachment_1831" align="aligncenter" width="300"] NDVI image displayed on a mobile device.[/caption]
[caption id="attachment_1832" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Photo of effected area from NDVI image above[/caption]
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